Orthopedic tendon replacer



C. OWENS ORTHOPEDIC TENDON REPLACER Filed May 2, 1934 Patented Apr. 7, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ORTHOPEDIC TENDON REPLACER Charles Owens, Chattanooga, Tenn.

Application May 2, 1934, Serial No. 723,575

5 Claims.

My invention relates to orthopedics and more particularly to that branch of orthopedics which deals with the structure of the foot. It concerns particularly an implement for replacing misplaced tendons.

In the drawing Figure 1 is a side view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a front view.

Fig. 3 is a view of the device in use.

Perhaps one of the most difficult conditions to deal with in troubles common to the foot is a bunion. A bunion is caused by a spreading of the first phalanx of the great toe at its articulation with the first metatarsal and when this occurs, the tendons which give the toe its downward, gripping motion in walking, slip along side of the displaced joint, between it and the next succeeding toe and when in this position, owing to the close proximity of the neighboring toe, these tendons with their accompanying sesamoid bones, in the correction of this trouble, are difficult to replace.

My invention consists of a device designed to slip between the affected toe and its neighbor, in such a manner as to permit the replacer to engage the misplaced tendons and thus enable the physician to work them back into their normal position.

Regardless of the character of the instrument which may be employed for this purpose other than in surgery, the device must, in its tendon engaging portion, conform to the contour of the toe itself and at the same time attach to the hand of the operator in such a manner as to assist the natural movement of the hand without obstructing the action of the hand in any way.

The implement is made up of a main body portion I! having a round opening 2 to receive one of the fingers of the operators hand, and two curved arms or projections 3. These projections lie to one side of the axis of the main body portion and each one is of curved form. They may be substantially counterparts of each other in that the device may be reversed in position to bring either arm into play against the misplaced tendon, the efiect being the same in either case. The recesses a, a, provided by the concaved side of the arm conform to the curve of the side of the toe and to the curve of the operators finger. These arms are covered with rubber sleeves 4 of soft texture.

The major portion of the ring lies above the plane of the convex side of the arms.

In the use'of the device the index finger of the operator may be passed through the opening in the body portion, as shown in Fig. 3 and one of the arms or projections is passed between the toes to bear with its concave face against the affected part so that this can be manipulated to restore or replace the tendon. The other curved arm of the device extends over the outer side of the second finger of the operators hand to get a bearing here so that the force expended by the operator will be applied in an efficient and complete manner to the tendon, the arm which rests upon the back of the second finger serving then as a fulcrum.

The drawing shows one of the arms curved slightly different from the other to more nearly conform to the toe and finger respectively.

I claim:

said ring-shaped body.

2. An implement of the character described comprising a ring-shaped body portion to receive a finger of the operator, and arms extending from opposite sides of said ring-shaped body portion, said arms lying in the plane of the ringshaped body portion.

3. An implement according to claim 2 in which the line of the points of juncture of the said arms with said ring-shaped body portion is to one side of the center of the ring.

4. An implement of the character described comprising a ring-shaped body portion to receive a finger of the operator, and an arm of curved form extending therefrom, said curved arm lying in the plane of said ring-shaped. body portion.

5. In an implement according to claim 4, a second arm of curved form extending from the side of said ring-shaped body portion opposite to said first mentioned arm, said second curved arm also lying in the plane of the ring-shaped body portion. 

